Home Level 2 chargers—seeking basic guidance

[MIG]

Another vote for an autel maxicharger as it has more features than anyone else's. It's basically has commercial grade functions from a home charger. I use them at apartment buildings for shared use as well.

We have 2 (in 2 houses). Couldn't be happy with Autel. Great price annd quality product.

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[Armeniandave]

How long is the cable that is included?

It's 18 feet long

 

[Spork8]

Am I the only one using the one that came with the truck?
Seriously it works great and charges plenty fast overnight
and it was free with the truck. Had to put in a 14-50 outlet
but that was super simple.

Probably not the only one. But I think a lot of people are answering OP's question as asked. Not a bad idea to suggest the included charger as it may work for them too. I've got a detached garage that only had 120VAC out to it, 100A service to the house, and was able to put a 60A breaker in the cabinet and run it to the garage. I did try the included charger on a 120V/15A outlet....it was not great.

 

[beatle]

Am I the only one using the one that came with the truck?
Seriously it works great and charges plenty fast overnight
and it was free with the truck. Had to put in a 14-50 outlet
but that was super simple.

My guess is that a lot of people don't already have a 14-50 receptacle. See my earlier comments about 14-50s. They're not "wrong" so much as they're often more expensive, less capable, and more prone to failure than a hardwired EVSE. Like you, I installed a 14-50 myself years ago when I got my first EV, but if I were doing it all over again (and I am) I am installing a hardwired EVSE.

Hitching a ride on this topic. If the charger has an option to purchase either NACS (Tesla) or CCS (J1772) is the CCS the better choice for a 2024 R1T? I will never have a Tesla so this seems like an easy choice, but am I missing anything?

Technically CCS and J1772 are not the same. I assume you just mean J1772. A native NACS EVSE will allow you to plug in future EVs that have said they will use the NACS port. Virtually all manufacturers have said they will use NACS as early as 2025, including Rivian. Not just for Tesla anymore!

 

[CBRacerX]

(snip)

Technically CCS and J1772 are not the same. I assume you just mean J1772. A native NACS EVSE will allow you to plug in future EVs that have said they will use the NACS port. Virtually all manufacturers have said they will use NACS as early as 2025, including Rivian. Not just for Tesla anymore!

Thanks. As I understand it my 2024 Rivian won't support NACS without a (now free I hear) adapter. It natively has J1722 under the charging door. With a 60 amp circuit I'm going to get the same charging rate at 48 amps with either option (assuming Emporia wall adapter) aren't I? You are suggesting the NACS will be more "future proof"? I can appreciate that. But I don't know if my 2024 will include the NACS adapter at the time of delivery...

 

[TollKeeper]

I have a Rivian Branded charger hardwired to my panel on a 60 amp circuit.

Twice it overdrew power and completely melted everything at my breaker box.

I set the charger to 32amp limit, and has not given me a problem since. I charge to 76% overnight using only 16% on my daily commute. So it charges plenty for my needs.

Yes I know I should only charge to 70%. But for work requirements, I need to have 150 miles of range in case I get called out to the field. 76% gives me that after my one way commute.

 

[Spork8]

my 2024 Rivian won't support NACS without a (now free I hear) adapter

That adapter is for DCFC only, not for AC charging like this thread is about. You would still need a Tesla -> J1772 adapter if you went with a charger that has a Tesla connector. For your vehicle, a J1772 connector is fine and you can always get an adapter if a future vehicle needs it.

 

[beatle]

I have a Rivian Branded charger hardwired to my panel on a 60 amp circuit.

Twice it overdrew power and completely melted everything at my breaker box.

Yikes, I would check your breaker. If it was truly drawing more than 60A, the breaker should have tripped. Breakers can also be tripped by heat. When my 14-50 melted, I replaced it and went on my way. A few days later I tripped the breaker on a longer charging session even though I was only drawing 40A. I checked and the breaker was HOT! I think it was over 160F. When I pulled it out to replace it, I noticed that the lugs were not nearly as tight as they were when I installed it. I tightened them back down and reinstalled it. Now the breaker only hits 90F. I think the repeated heating/cooling cycles from all the sustained high current load may have a way of fatiguing the connection, and more expensive components will do better at dealing with this. My install uses 6/3 Romex BTW.

 

[CANCERDOC]

There are less expensive chargers that do exactly the same thing, and some that do more (like the Tesla charger that can do both types of plugs) but having said that, the Rivian charger just works seamlessly. Plug it in, and it charges according to the schedule you set in the vehicle. It's almost like having an Apple product. Ok, now I know I've turned off all the anti-carplay folks here.

 

[1stPlace]

I bought the Rivian wall charger for $800 in Spring 2023 because I was remodeling my garage+electrical and did not want to wait for the charger to be delivered with my car months later. My utility company gave me a $500 rebate anyway because it was Energy Star certified. I also think for a vehicle this expensive, having tested compatibility matters, and as much as everyone would probably reply that electrons are electrons and J1772 is a standard so it doesn't matter, in the back of my mind, I didn't want to be cheap on a device that wasn't already thoroughly tested and used with my R1S.

Turns out, there's an issue with my wall charger slowing now after 15 minutes "due to warm plug", BUT after sending the requisite information to Rivian, they just sent me a brand new wall charger AND are paying for Q-merit to come and re-install. I didn't use Q-merit initially, but it was installed by a licensed electrician who got the permit and inspection was approved. I didn't read the fine print of the warranty and didn't expect them to cover the re-install cost, but keep in mind, often the install cost is just as much as the wall charger if not more.


TLDR- I would recommend looking at the warranty of whatever you are considering. Rivian's covers parts AND labor and for up to 5 years. I would bet, most wall chargers are 1-3 years and only parts, no labor. For this reason, Rivian's wall charger premium may actually be worth it.

 

[SwampNut]

keep in mind that a 14-50 costs more to install since it needs a more expensive GFCI breaker, an extra conductor for the neutral, and obviously a box, receptacle., and plate.

Depends. Every one that I've installed has been close to the box, and cost less than when I put in my actual wall adapter.

 

[SwampNut]

Twice it overdrew power and completely melted everything at my breaker box.

Someone totally screwed up your installation. There is no such thing as "overdraw" because the entire point of a circuit breaker is to prevent this. In addition, the car itself can never use more than 48a, no matter what. Your electrician is an idiot, or you have some defective parts. You need a second opinion to prevent a fire.

 

[WiredOne]

If you're just looking for something to mount on the wall that will provide electricity to your Rivian, you don't need a fancy EVSE. Common features you might care about upgrading for are energy tracking and scheduled charging, but you can also schedule from the truck, and there are services like ElectraFi (maybe others?) that will track your charging both home and away without any equipment. I wouldn't personally spend money on these features on an EVSE.

I know you said you don't like Tesla, but the Tesla universal wall connector has some significant advantages over others. One, it has a built in NACS >> J1772 adapter. When Rivian and other automakers start putting NACS ports on their vehicles, you won't need a separate adapter to continue using the wall connector if/when you move on. And if you ever think you'll need to charge a second EVSE, you can daisy chain your first UWC to another one on the same circuit which can save you a lot on install. The Tesla UWC also costs less than the Rivian wall connector.

Emporia and Grizzl-E seem to be popular around here. You may also check your utility company to see if they offer discounts on other brands. Just ensure whatever you get is UL or ETL listed. Most, if not all major brands will be.

I own two emporia’s. Flawless units, 25ft cable, half the price. A charger is a charger.

 

[7FCvin]

Love my Emporia -- I didn't know about the RIV discount code when I got mine, that's nice it's out there, makes it an even better value.

I also have a ChargePoint Home Flex, which I bought before my EV actually arrived so I could take advantage of local utility rebates -- its disadvantages are that you can only associate one such L2 charger with your ChargePoint account and this subsequently lists your charger on the ChargePoint map (as an AC home charger with little other info -- no one can set it as a destination, at least). If needed, the cable is owner-replaceable (but this is likely not to be an issue).

Both are 14-50, as I anticipate moving at some point. Both work great. Like you, I hired an electrician. Zero problems. Grateful that I can charge easily at home.

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